


Dr Who in a Chase with the Daleks

by pigeonking



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 15:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10467960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonking/pseuds/pigeonking
Summary: Every Doctor Who fan knows about the two Dalek films made in the 60s which were essentially adaptations of the first two Dalek TV serials retold with Peter Cushing as the Doctor. However, it was only recently that I discovered that they had intended to also do a movie of the third Dalek serial The Chase. In the end they decided against it since the second Dalek movie had not done as well as they had anticipated. This got me thinking about what if the two movies existed in the Doctor Who universe and that there was some other reason why the third film didn't get made...This story also sets up events for my upcoming 12th Doctor story...





	

Amy and Rory Pond (or should that be Williams) were just about to sit down and watch a DVD when their doorbell rang.

“Don’t worry; I’ll see who it is.” Rory assured his wife as he got up from the sofa.

“If it’s that Avon lady who fancies you I want you to tell me so I can come and sort her out!” Amy called out to him as he exited the lounge.

Rory’s head popped round the door frame looking like an over ripened raspberry.

“That was a total misunderstanding! I thought we’d agreed on that?” he babbled defensively, but then he saw the impish smile on Amy’s face and calmed down somewhat.

“I’ll go and get the door, shall I?” he said sheepishly and disappeared before she could answer.

Things went quiet after that and after a minute or two Amy wondered if she should get up and make sure Rory was okay. That Avon lady maybe forcing herself on him again, she mused only half serious. Then she thought that she heard the soft tread of someone trying and failing to sneak stealthily across the carpeted floor. Amy decided to play along and pretend that she hadn’t heard. If Rory thought he could sneak up on Amelia Pond then he had another think coming!

A pair of hands came from behind her and covered her eyes.

“Guess who?” said a familiar voice that wasn’t Rory.

Amy leapt up from the sofa and turned around to look at the tall, gangly man in the tweed jacket, bowtie and suspenders that was standing behind her, his long face grinning like a lunatic from beneath his floppy fringe.

“Doctor!” Amy exclaimed happily.

“Amelia!” the Doctor exclaimed in return before leaping over the sofa to envelop her in a hug.

Rory stood at the side a little awkwardly.

“He wanted to surprise you.” He explained a little superfluously.

The Doctor took one of his long arms from around Amy and extended it out to Rory.

“Come ‘ere, you!” he demanded.

Rory smiled and allowed himself to be drawn into the embrace.

Team TARDIS were reunited once again.

“So,” Amy said as she disentangled herself from the group hug. “Not that it isn’t great to see you, but what brings you to this neck of the woods? It’s been six weeks since you last dropped us off!”

“Six weeks???” the Doctor exclaimed in astonishment. “But I only dropped you off a couple of hours ago. I nipped off to go and pay River a visit – she’s fine by the way, sends her love – and I came straight back. Couple of hours, that’s all! Cross my hearts and hope to regenerate.”

“Don’t worry, I believe you.” Amy pouted, “That bloody TARDIS of yours getting all mixed up again.”

“Don’t blame it on the old girl… she tries her best.” The Doctor replied a little defensively.

The Time Lord clapped his hands and looked at the TV and the pile of DVDs on the floor in front of it.

“Looks like I’m just in time to save you from an evening of domestic boredom!” he declared gleefully.

“Actually I think you’d be very interested in watching the film that we’d picked out.” Rory replied with a smug ‘we know something you don’t’ smirk.

“Really?” the Doctor managed to look both astonished and curious at the same time.

“Show him, Amy.” Rory said, smirk unwavering.

“You show him!” Amy retorted in mock indignation, delivering a punch to her husband’s arm that was a little harder than she’d intended.

“Ow!” Rory yelped. He went to fetch the DVD in question, rubbing his arm along the way.

He rummaged through the pile and came up with the case he’d been looking for, handing it to the Doctor.

The Doctor glanced down at the cover which proclaimed _Dr. Who and the Daleks_. There were several colourful looking Daleks on the front too plus a picture of the actor Peter Cushing in Edwardian attire. Flipping the case over the Doctor quickly read the synopsis on the back.

“But this is a film about my first trip to Skaro, the Daleks’ home planet. How could they possibly have known about it?” the Doctor frowned, unable to take his eyes off the DVD cover. “It says that the film was made in 1965. There’s only two people I can think of that were on Earth in 1965 that could have known about what happened on Skaro.”

“That’s not all.” Amy said. “Show him the other one.”

Rory dutifully retrieved another DVD case from the pile on the floor and gave it to the Doctor.

This one bore the title _Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D_. More colourful Daleks adorned the cover and this time a picture of a sinister looking man in a black helmet and black PVC who looked like he was pointing a gun at whoever might be looking at the picture.

Again the Doctor read the back cover.

“This one is about the Dalek invasion of Earth; but that was in the 2160s not 50s!” he exclaimed in disbelief. “Released in 1966… and they got Peter Cushing to play me???”

“Focus, Doctor.” Amy said soothingly. “You said there were only two people who would have known about the events on Skaro. Would they have known about the Dalek invasion too?”

“Yes.” The Doctor nodded. “They were both travelling in the TARDIS with me on both occasions. They shared one other adventure with me that involved the Daleks before they left the TARDIS. Did they make a film of that one too?”

“Well, I did a little online research when we found these two films,” Rory explained. “Apparently they were going to make a third film called _Dr. Who in a Chase with the Daleks_ , but for some mysterious reason it was never finished. They actually began filming at the Shepperton Studios in 1967, but it was never completed. There is no documented reason for it; believe me… I looked!”

“Well that settles what we’re doing today then.” The Doctor declared.

“And what would that be?” Amy wondered, knowing full well that the Doctor was just waiting for her to ask.

“We’re going to travel back to the Shepperton Studios in 1967 and find out why that film was never finished; and hopefully meet up with two old friends of mine too!” the Doctor dutifully explained; he was already heading for the door.

“Come along, Ponds! Off to the TARDIS, back to 1967!”

 

The studio was filled with sand and had been made up with little dips and dunes to create the impression of a desert. A blue police telephone box was perched atop one of these specially fabricated sand dunes.

The sand beside it began to billow and swirl as if being agitated by an invisible hand. In that spot where the sand was so disturbed and right next to the police box a tall blue square shape began to slowly emerge as if from nowhere, its appearance heralded by a howling and grinding noise.

It was another police box. The TARDIS solidified and the materialisation noise ceased.

Moments after its arrival the door opened and the Doctor, Amy and Rory exited onto the sandy landscape. The Doctor was still dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing at the Pond residence back in the 21st Century, as was Rory, still wearing his jeans and green sweater.

Amy, however, had taken the time to change her outfit while the TARDIS had been traversing the time vortex. She was decked out in a stunning day-glow orange mini-skirted dress with matching orange PVC knee length boots. Both Rory and the Doctor had greeted this outfit with open mouthed appreciation when she had strutted back into the console room wearing it.

“I think the TARDIS has missed her mark again. This is a desert!” Rory remarked.

The Doctor pointed out the trio of heavy duty film cameras on wheels that were placed at strategic angles around the desert set. “It’s a desert set, Rory. Not an actual desert. This must be their recreation of Aridius.” He spotted the police box prop next to the TARDIS and ran over to it with a gleeful grin. He began to caress and stroke the prop in a rather inappropriate way.

“Isn’t she beautiful, they’ve captured her likeness brilliantly!” he purred ecstatically.

“Down, boy!” Amy teased.

“Would you like to be alone with these two, Doctor?” Rory smirked, indicating the two police boxes. “We wouldn’t want to intrude upon your ménage a TARDIS!”

The Doctor reluctantly tore himself away from his police box preening.

“Oh ha, ha!” he returned with his most insincere smile.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone else about.” Amy observed as she looked around the set.

“No.” the Doctor concurred. “It’s either early morning or late at night. Personally I’m hoping for the former rather than the latter. I don’t fancy being shut in here all night.”

“Why not?” Amy wondered. “It might be quite fun exploring the set of this movie and we can look for clues while no one’s about.”

“Good point, well made!” the Doctor pointed at her with an air of approval.

They began to walk around the sandy film set, but beyond the sand, the cameras and all the other movie making paraphernalia there wasn’t that much to see. There were two doors, both closed. One was the exit that would take them out of the studio complex and the other led onto another set. The Doctor had peered through and recognised it as being a reconstruction of the top viewing deck of the Empire State Building in New York.

“That’s where the TARDIS landed after Aridius when the Daleks were chasing us.” The Doctor had explained.

Amy had been about to question the Doctor further when Rory let out a surprised yelp.

The Doctor and Amy turned to see what had caught Rory’s attention and they were met with a large sandy coloured tentacle creature half buried in one of the sand dunes.

“What is that supposed to be?” Rory asked.

The Doctor walked over to it and examined it.

“This is supposed to be a Mire Beast, a carnivorous life form indigenous to Aridius. I wouldn’t worry. This one is just a model rigged up with hydraulics to make it move.” The Doctor assured him.

Amy gave her husband a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Aww, did the big nasty, scary monster frighten you?” she teased.

“No, it just startled me, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting to see it.” Rory replied defensively.

It was then that the lights came on and people started to enter the studio.

All in all Rory counted twelve people enter the studio. There were nine men and three women.

Rory didn’t really recognise any of them, except for one of the men. There was no mistaking the distinguished grey haired gentleman wearing a brown frock coat over a yellow waist coat with a blue cravat about his neck and brown trousers.

“It’s Peter Cushing!” Rory exclaimed in excitement. “It’s actually Peter Cushing!”

Peter looked up at the mention of his name and when he noticed Rory, Amy and the Doctor standing by the door into the next set, then everyone else seemed to notice too.

“What are you people doing on my movie set?” one of the other men shouted angrily. “How on Earth did you even get in here???”  

The Doctor stepped forward with his most apologetic looking face. He was about to address the little moustachioed man who had spoken when he caught sight of two familiar faces amongst those who had entered. His expression immediately transformed from apologetic to delighted at the sight of the handsome young man and the beautiful young woman that stood not too far away from him.

They too seemed to share the Doctor’s delight when they saw _him_!

“Doctor! What on Earth are you doing here?” the young man exalted with a huge smile across his handsome face.

The Doctor’s look of delight dissolved into a confused frown.

“Wait a minute. You both recognise me? You’ve seen this face before?” the Doctor asked his old friend in puzzlement.

“You were at our wedding two years ago, don’t you remember?” the woman reminded him.

“I think I’d remember something like that…” the Doctor frowned; then he slapped his palm hard into his forehead. “Of course! It’s obvious! It hasn’t happened for me yet. You must have met a future me. I’m going to go to the wedding of Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright! Nice to know I’ve got something to look forward to…” the Doctor paused and grinned like the proverbial Cheshire cat. “You two got married!!!!” he declared excitedly as if the information had only just sunk in.

“Congratulations! I can’t think of anyone more deserving!” the Doctor shook Ian’s hand and then embraced Barbara with his customary air kisses – one for each cheek as ever.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your new friends?” Ian asked, indicating Amy and Rory.

“Of course! How rude of me!” the Doctor exclaimed.

He turned and pointed in turn at each of his companions.

“This is Amelia and Rory Pond, my two best friends. Amelia and Rory… this… is Ian and Barbara Chesterton!”

“It’s actually Amelia and Rory Williams.” Rory corrected with a raised hand like an apologetic school boy.

The Doctor scowled at Rory.

“Erm… no he got it right the first time.” Rory back tracked awkwardly, turning scarlet under the Doctor’s disapproving glare.

The Doctor smiled as if to say ‘that’s better.’

“Excuse me!” the little moustachioed man interrupted. “I hate to spoil your little reunion. It’s obvious that you are friends of our two script writers, but what are you doing here and how did you get in here?”

“I’m sorry, Doctor, let me introduce you to everyone.” Ian smiled apologetically. He indicated the moustachioed man; “This is the director, Gordon Martin.” Then Ian indicated the other people, a smartly dressed young man in his 30s; “This is William Castle; he’s the actor playing me.”

An attractive young woman also in her 30s; “This is Jackie Hill who’ll be portraying Barbara.”

A pretty young woman in her 20s with short blonde hair; “Maureen Ford is going to be playing Vicki.”

“This chap in the blue prosthetic make-up is Stuart Tipping and he’s playing an Aridian who gets exterminated by a Dalek in one of today’s scenes.”

He indicated the three men that were setting up the three cameras; “These are our cameramen, Steve, Roger and Chris…”

Then the man holding a boom-microphone; “This is Derek, our sound-man and finally you might recognise Peter Cushing who will be reprising his role as you!”

Peter and the Doctor were regarding each other with mutual curiosity while Rory stood at the side lines resisting the urge to mob the actor for his autograph.

“A pleasure to meet you all, I’m sure.” The Doctor muttered absently without taking his eyes off Peter. “So you’re playing me, eh?”

“If you say so, young man.” Peter replied. “Are you Dr. Who?”

The Doctor chuckled. “Oh that is so quaint. He thinks my name is Dr. Who!”

“Well that is what we’ve called you in our script.” Barbara told him.

Before the Doctor could react to this little bit of information Gordon interrupted.

“This is all very interesting, but you still haven’t explained how you got onto my set!” he bellowed.

“The door is locked from the outside and there were no signs of a break in so how did you get in here? Did one of the security staff let you in?” Gordon demanded to know.

The Doctor spared the director a casual side long glance. “Yes that’s exactly it. Well done for working it out. Amy give him a medal or a pat on the back or a… gobstopper, or something… actually yes… give him the gobstopper!”

“Sorry I left them in my other dress.” Amy deadpanned.

“Then what are you good for?” the Doctor lamented with an air of exasperation. He forgot all about Peter and turned back to Ian and Barbara. “So you two have been writing movies about our adventures, eh? Specifically the ones with the Daleks. How long’s that been going on for then?” he asked them conversationally, the smile had returned.

“Since 1965…” Rory offered. “Remember that whole discussion we had in our front room before we even came here?”

“All right forget how long… why have you been making movies about our adventures with the Daleks?” the Doctor wondered.

“You talk as if the events they have written about actually happened!” Gordon remarked incredulously.

“Well they have!” the Doctor began, but then caught a look off Ian and Barbara. “In our imaginations… Ian and Barbara are old school chums of mine and these stories are based on games that we used to play in the playground at school… isn’t that right, eh?”

Ian and Barbara nodded with relief. “That’s right, Doctor.” Ian agreed.

“As for why we’re doing it…” Barbara began, “Well, why not? They do make very good stories and it seemed a shame not to share them.”

The Doctor beamed happily. “Of course, you’re right.”

“So what does bring you here anyway, Doctor?” Ian wondered. “Surely you didn’t come just to ask us why we were making these films.”

The Doctor regarded the director and the other assembled film makers. “Yes, well I think that’s a discussion for somewhere a bit more private. Do you care to step into my office?”

He began to walk over to the TARDIS.

It was then that Gordon noticed the second police box.

“Where on Earth did that come from? We don’t need two Tardis props!” he bellowed.

The Doctor ignored him and disappeared into one of the police boxes.

His annoyed voice echoed from inside… “Who’s turned off the lights? And the dimensional stabilisers???”

“Doctor that’s the wrong box!” Amy called with a roll of the eyes.

The door opened and the Doctor peered out sheepishly. “Course it is! Just having a little joke!”

He came out of that box and entered the other one, beckoning for Ian, Barbara, Amy and Rory to follow. They dutifully filed into the TARDIS. Gordon made as if to join them, but the Doctor held up his hand. “This is a private discussion; we’ll be out in a minute.”

Gordon tried to contain his building anger as the door of the TARDIS was closed in his face.

He turned to his team.

“Right, I need someone to get rid of this other police box, and then we can bring in the Daleks.”

 

“So you’re saying that this film is never completed?” Barbara said after the Doctor, Amy and Rory had explained their presence in 1967.

“That’s right.” The Doctor nodded.

“But why? Aren’t there any records that say?” Barbara wondered.

“None whatsoever. That’s why we’re here to try and find out.” Amy explained.

“Has there been any executive resistance to the making of this movie?” the Doctor asked.

“No, everyone is extremely enthusiastic about getting this film made. The public absolutely love the Daleks; especially the children!” Ian replied.

“I bet they wouldn’t love them so much if they actually met one!” Amy drawled sardonically.

“Yes, quite.” The Doctor agreed. “So if the film isn’t shut down through executive meddling, then there must be some other reason why this film never gets made. This is just like that time when Martha and I got caught up in that business involving Shakespeare’s lost play. I do hope the Carrionites aren’t involved this time as well.”

“You’re not saying that aliens are the reason why this film doesn’t get finished, are you, Doctor?” Ian asked incredulously.

“Stranger things have happened, Chatterton.” The Doctor replied with a mischievous wink.

“So what do we do?” Barbara wondered.

“The only thing we can do is go back out there; you and Ian carry on as if we weren’t here. Rory, Amy and I will watch from the side lines and be ready to leap heroically into action should anything alieny happen.” The Doctor decided.

“Speak for yourself. I don’t see myself doing much heroic leaping in this dress!” Amy smirked.

“Nonsense, you’re like a Scottish, ginger Emma Peel and Rory is like…” he looked at Rory; “Well, he’s like a Rory.”

“Thanks!” Rory replied with mock indignation.

Now that explanations were out of the way and a plan of action had been decided upon the Doctor took the opportunity to catch up with his old friends.

“So you two know me, but you didn’t recognise Amy or Rory. I must have been travelling alone then?” he asked the two ex-school teachers.

“That’s right.” Ian confirmed.

“Should we be talking to you about this considering that it hasn’t happened to you yet?” Barbara wondered.

“Oh I shouldn’t worry too much. As long as you don’t mention any major details we should be just fine.” The Doctor assured her. “And I promise to act suitably surprised and astonished to see you whenever it happens.”

“All right then.” Barbara smiled.

“We’d better get back out there.” Amy reminded them. “They’re going to start wondering what we’re all up to in here.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” The Doctor agreed.

They made their way to the control room doors that led outside.

 

As soon as the Doctor opened the door he came face to eye-stalk with a Dalek.

This one was silver from top to bottom apart from the black skirting and the light blue spheres that adorned the sides of its casing. Orange lights sat at either side of its domed head with the eye piece looking directly at the Doctor in between. The Doctor noticed that the cylindrical weapon on the left was also pointing straight at him.

“Everyone back inside! There’s a Dalek out here!” the Doctor exclaimed urgently.

Ian pushed passed him and exited the TARDIS.

“Well of course there is, Doctor. You can’t have a film about the Daleks and not have any actual Daleks in it now, can you?” he chuckled. Ian stood next to the Dalek and put his hand on top of it. He waved his hand in front of the eye piece and the gun to show the Doctor how harmless it actually was.

The Doctor stepped out slowly with a doubtful look on his face.

“Are you absolutely sure it’s not a real Dalek?” he asked.

Behind him, Barbara, Amy and Rory also came out of the TARDIS, Rory pulling the door closed.

“Real?” it was Gordon insinuating himself into the conversation once again. “Of course it isn’t real. Daleks don’t exist. This is just a robot.”

“A robot you say?” the Doctor asked; his interest piqued. He even rewarded the annoying director with his full attention.

“Yes.” Gordon confirmed. “They have been supplied by this company that specialises in robotics. Much better than the fibre glass jobbies we used on the first two films. They had to be wheeled around by actors sitting inside them. These ones operate via a remote control device operated by Nick here.” He indicated a young man with thinning brown hair sitting behind a complex looking control desk on wheels. “We can even programme in the dialogue so we don’t even have to employ someone to provide the voices. Much better than the originals and cheaper too would you believe?”

“Really, that is very interesting indeed!” the Doctor mused. He returned his attention to the Dalek and examined it, even taking out his green-tipped sonic screwdriver to analyse it. “This is very advanced technology indeed. Too advanced for the 1960s.”

“What are you saying, Doctor?” Ian asked, but the Time Lord ignored him as he continued his analysis.

“Terullian drive, now that’s interesting.” The Doctor muttered to himself.

“Why is that interesting?” Rory wondered.

“Because there’s no terullian to be found in this galaxy.” The Doctor replied. He turned his attention upon Gordon again. “Tell me, what is the name of the company that supplies these robots?”

“Er… I believe they go by the name of the Sondel Corporation. Why? Is it important?” Gordon was most perturbed by the Doctor’s behaviour and the strange things that he was saying.

“Have you heard of them, Doctor?” Ian asked.

“No.” the Doctor replied absently. “How many of these Daleks do you have?”

“Well, there’s that one and then there’s the other five over there.” Gordon pointed to the sandy set behind the Doctor.

The Doctor turned and looked where the director was indicating. Over on the sand dune Aridian desert set the Doctor observed that the only police box now standing there was his own TARDIS, the other having been removed whilst he and his companions had been in conference, but it was the five Dalek robots scattered about behind it that really gave him pause for thought.

“Oh dear!” he muttered darkly.

And then the Daleks started to move.

First of all it was just a slow twitching of the eye-stalks, then the sucker arms began to sway and the guns rotated menacingly within their housings. One by one the lens in each Dalek’s eye piece lit up with an eerie blue glow… just like the eye of a real Dalek. It was as if they were awakening from a deep sleep. All of the Daleks were silver and blue like the one by the TARDIS… all except the one that bore a black and silver livery with red lights on its dome instead of orange. If these had been real Daleks then he would have been the Supreme Dalek.

The Doctor turned his head towards the Dalek by the TARDIS and was horrified to see that this one was also coming alive and it was blocking any escape that could have been obtained by running into the police box time machine.

“Okay, Nick. That’s a very good demonstration, but you can turn them off again now. We don’t need them yet. We’ve still got to get the scene with the Mire Beast in the can.” Gordon was saying.

Nick looked up from his console with a look of startled bewilderment.

“Erm… this isn’t me!” he stammered.

“What do you mean it isn’t you???” Gordon demanded getting irate again; this really wasn’t his day at all.

“I think we all need to be making our way to the nearest exit. Which in this case would be that door over there.” The Doctor indicated the door by the Mire Beast that led into the next set.

The Daleks on the sand were beginning to edge slowly forwards.

The one by the TARDIS was taking aim with its weapon.

“EXTERMINATE!!!” it screeched in the familiar robotic tone that the Doctor knew and hated too well.

A blue arc of electricity lanced out of the end of its gun and transfixed Stuart the Aridian.

Stuart screamed and convulsed within the electrical beam before falling dead to the floor, smoke pouring from his blackened corpse. The bacon stench of burned human flesh assailed the nostrils of everyone present.

“RUN!!!” shouted the Doctor.

Everyone started to run towards the door that led into the next set. As they did so the Dalek robots began to fire their electrocutors with the occasional exclamation of: “EXTERMINATE!!!”

Two of the cameramen, Steve and Chris, were the next to be cut down along with Derek the soundman.

The Doctor reached the door first and found it to be locked. He quickly set his sonic screwdriver to undo the lock. As he was trying to find the right frequency the Mire Beast next to them suddenly sprang into life and grabbed up the young actress, Maureen in one of its tentacles.

Maureen screamed.

“Doctor, the Mire Beast has come alive as well!” Amy shouted in alarm.

“That’s a Sondel Corporation robot as well!” Ian informed her.

The Doctor managed to get the door open and ushered everyone through it quickly until he only remained.

“I’m beginning to dislike this Sondel Corporation.” He uttered angrily as he turned his attention to Maureen, still struggling and screaming in the grip of the Mire Beast. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you free!”

The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the robot and treated it to a burst of devastating sonic energy. Behind him the Dalek robots were closing in.

“Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!” they chorused in unison as they advanced.

The tentacle of the Mire Beast was beginning to loosen its grip on Maureen and was slowly lowering her back onto the ground.

Then a blue streak of electricity struck her, just as the tentacle was falling away from her.

Maureen shrieked in agony, her body twitched spasmodically as her hair, skin and clothes began to burn. Then mercifully she was still. Her scorched lifeless body slumped against the disoriented Mire Beast.

“No!” the Doctor shouted in desperation. He looked one last time at Maureen’s blackened corpse before he ran through the door to join the others.

The Daleks pursued.

The Doctor slammed the door shut behind it and jammed it closed with a quick burst from the sonic, but he knew that wouldn’t delay them for long. Fortunately everyone else had already fled through the door into the next set after the Empire State Building; everyone that is except Amy, Rory, Ian, Barbara and, oddly enough, Peter Cushing.

The Doctor gazed at him in astonishment.

“I can guess why my friends are still hanging about, but what are you still doing here??? Run!” he shouted.

“I want to help.” Peter told him; he seemed unfazed by the Doctor’s abruptness, though he was clearly more than a little shaken by the lethal turn that events had taken. “I have played you in two previous films, Dr. Who; I have gotten into your head and under your skin to the point where I think I know you and how you think. It would be an honour to work alongside you in defeating these ruffians!”

“Look, Peter, I’m very flattered, but this isn’t one of your movies now. This is real. Real people have died. You could die if you do not do as I tell you.” The Doctor insisted as tactfully as he could manage.

The door behind him exploded off of its hinges and flew half way across the room, narrowly missing the Doctor and crashing into one of the prop observation telescopes that were dotted about the set.

“Talk later! Run now!” the Doctor reiterated urgently and they all fled through the door onto the next set.

 

The next set had been made up to resemble the deck of a 19th Century merchant sailing ship complete with masts and sails in all the places you’d expect them to be. The level of research that had been put into the design and construction was astonishing.

There was no sign of the other fugitives, but the door at the other end of the room that led to the next set had already been unlocked and opened so it wasn’t difficult to guess where they had gone.

“They must be making their way to the fire exits at the other end of the building. If we can get there too then we’ll be safe.” Ian remarked.

“We will be, but those robots will still be at large. We have to find a way of putting them out of action.” The Doctor replied. Once again he had slammed the door behind them shut in order to at least slow the robo-Daleks down.

“Do you remember when we landed on this ship, Doctor? We never did find out what it was called did we.” Barbara reminisced.

“In the Aridius scenes Mr Chesterton was able to rig up a trap for one of the Daleks using his coat. Is there any chance we could try and do something similar here?” Peter suggested.

“Perhaps if we had more time, but right now we need to keep moving!” the Doctor lamented.

He ushered his friends through the door at the other end of the room, leaving the 19th Century behind to enter onto a set that had been made up to resemble a spooky old house right out of a Hammer horror film.

“Ah, Peter, you should feel right at home here!” the Doctor declared gleefully.

“If you are referring to my numerous Hammer horror roles, Doctor, then yes, it does rather feel like a home from home.” Peter agreed with a wry smile.

“Please don’t tell me that you got the Sondel Corporation to make robots of the Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster that we encountered here?” the Doctor directed this question to Ian and Barbara.

“No, they were being portrayed by actors, but they weren’t due to be in until next Tuesday.” Ian replied.

“This place was weird too.” Barbara shuddered at the memory. “We didn’t solve the mystery surrounding this place either, if my memory serves me.”

“We didn’t have much time to hang about what with the Daleks on our tails.” The Doctor reminded her.

“Rather like now, wouldn’t you agree?” Amy chimed in through gritted teeth, nodding her head towards the exit as she spoke.

Everyone took the hint and rushed to the other end of the room to exit onto the final set: the jungles of Mechanus.

“This was where we made our stand against the real Daleks all those years ago.” The Doctor declared grimly. “And it’s where we’ll make our stand against the robot ones now.”

The Doctor and his companions threaded their way between the polystyrene trees of the alien jungle setting.

Barbara paused as a terrifying thought occurred to her.

“What is it, Barbara?” Ian asked his wife in concern.

“Don’t you remember?” Barbara replied cryptically. “The Daleks weren’t the only things we had to worry about on Mechanus. There were also the Fungoids and the Mechonoids.”

“And they’re Sondel robots too, aren’t they?” the Doctor knew the answer to the question before he’d even asked it.

Barbara just nodded.

It was then that one of the robo-Fungoids put in an appearance. The Fungoids had been a nasty species of sentient carnivorous fungus native to the Mechanus jungle. This robotic version loomed out of the manufactured undergrowth and tried to ensnare Rory in its lethal tendrils.

Ian dashed in and delivered a savage kick to the robot, knocking it away long enough for him to be able to pull Rory out of harm’s way.

“Thanks.” Rory said gratefully.

The group began to back away from the encroaching Fungoid.

“How many of these did you have made?” the Doctor wondered.

“Only this one, thankfully.” Ian replied.

“You will be exterminated!!!” came a harsh metallic voice from behind them.

The Doctor had never been more grateful for the Daleks’ habit of calling their attacks before they made them, a trait that seemed to have been programmed into their robotic counterparts too.

“Down everybody!!!” he shouted urgently.

Everyone dived to the ground just as an arc of electricity whipped over their heads and struck the Fungoid which promptly blew apart in a shower of sparks.

The destruction of the Fung-bot also produced a significant amount of smoke which the Doctor and his friends took advantage of to slip away into the man-made jungle before the Dalek could fire again.

Fortunately the trees and plants that made up this fake jungle provided more than adequate cover for the fugitives to evade their pursuers. They kept running, but they all knew that inevitably they would eventually run out of jungle… unless they ran into the Mechonoids first.

Amy stumbled upon something that was lying on the ground and fell upon her hands and knees where she found herself face to face with the charred remains of one of the unfortunate filmmakers that had run on ahead of them. It was all Amy could do to stifle a scream.

The face and body and clothes of the corpse beneath her were so blackened and burnt that she could not recognise who it was she had fallen upon. Amy quickly scrambled to her feet, wiping fragments of chargrilled flesh and clothing off her hands and dress with as much dignity as she could maintain without freaking out.

“The Mechonoids must have found them before _they_ found the exit.” The Doctor remarked grimly. “I remember that a flame-thrower was their signature weapon.”

“How many Mechonoids were made?” Rory wondered.

“Just three.” Ian replied. “But that’s more than enough to give us all a nasty head ache, I’m afraid.”

“There’s another one over here.” Barbara called; she had one hand over her mouth as if stifling the urge to be sick.

“And here.” Peter echoed over where he was standing. “This one looks like it might have been the young lady playing you, my dear.” This last part was directed at Barbara.

“Someone must have survived!” Ian shouted angrily.

“There are only three bodies.” Rory said with a hint of optimism.

“That we’ve found.” The Doctor observed. “Let’s get a move on before the Mechonoids come back or before the Daleks catch up with us.”

They moved on through the jungle. After a few short steps they reached the edge of the studio.

The fire exit was visible further down and it looked like it had been opened.

“Someone did get out then!” Ian remarked with a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for that!”

“We need to come up with a plan of action fast!” the Doctor reiterated. “Last time the Daleks and Mechonoids destroyed each other, but I’m not sure we can make that work this time. Not unless we can get hold of a Mechonoid and re-programme it somehow, but we don’t have the time for…” he paused suddenly and looked off into the distance, jut over Rory’s shoulder.

“What?” Rory looked about himself self-consciously. “Oh my God! It’s that spinach ravioli I had at lunchtime isn’t it? There’s some stuck in my teeth!” he began picking at his teeth frantically.

The Doctor ignored him. “The robot double that the Daleks made of me.” He said to Ian and Barbara. “You couldn’t have just gotten Peter to play a duel role could you? You had to have an actual robot double!”

Rory turned around at that and saw, to his astonishment, another Peter Cushing standing right behind him, a sinister smile upon its realistic face.

“It was Gordon’s idea. He thought it would look good for the movie.” Ian replied apologetically.

“Step back, Rory. Very slowly. No sudden movements!” the Doctor advised.

Rory did as he was told. For every step backwards that he took the robo-Cushing took a step forwards.

There was only one solution so far as the Doctor was concerned. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at Robo-Cushing as if it were a magic wand. The screwdriver emitted a shrill piercing shriek which had an immediate effect upon Robo-Cushing. It shuddered violently under the sonic bombardment, wisps of smoke pouring from every visible orifice before finally collapsing upon the studio floor at Rory’s feet. Rory found it rather disturbing to have the life-like face of Peter Cushing staring sightlessly up at him through dead eyes.

“Now why can’t you just do that to all of the robots following us?” Amy wondered.

“It might work if they were coming at us one at a time, but all together…” the Doctor allowed the sentence to tail off. “There is something else that might just work though!” his long face lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree as the beginnings of an idea began to form in his head.

“What is it?” Ian grinned, immediately infected by the Doctor’s sudden enthusiasm.

The Doctor re-entered the man-made jungle and the others followed closely behind him.

“We need to keep moving, there’s no telling when those robots might catch up with us.” The Doctor told them.

“What’s your plan, Doctor?” Barbara pressed.

“Someone, or something is controlling those robots remotely. They didn’t just turn on themselves. Logic dictates that it must be someone working for this Sondel Corporation and judging by the level of technology that is on display here they’re obviously capable of controlling these robots at a very great distance using a signal transmitted on a very powerful frequency.” The Doctor explained.

“Obviously!” Rory parroted dryly as if it was something he’d known all along.

“If I can modulate the sonic screwdriver to the same frequency then I just might be able to jam whoever’s controlling them and render the robots inoperative.” The Doctor declared.

“Couldn’t they just increase their signal and override your jamming?” Amy pointed out.

“They could.” The Doctor agreed. “But they will be inoperative long enough for me to do enough damage to them that will put them out of commission permanently.”

“How long will it take you to find the right frequency?” Peter asked nervously.

“I just need to analyse the frequency that’s being transmitted by the Sondel Corporation and then it’s just a matter of synchronising the screwdriver to match it. Shouldn’t take more than a minute or two. Why?” the Doctor replied.

Peter didn’t say anything. He just pointed and everyone looked.

Over to their left the Daleks were emerging from the undergrowth.

“Look!” Ian was pointing across at the other side to where a couple of Mechonoids could be seen. They were bulky, spherical robots with flame-thrower weapons protruding from their centre. Darting tongues of flame leapt from the barrels of these throwers as the Mechonoids advanced.

“Now would be a good time to find that frequency, Doctor!” Rory pressed urgently.

The Doctor began fiddling with the controls of the sonic desperately.

“Try and stall them for as long as you can!” he urged.

“EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!” the robo-Daleks were screeching in unison their guns and plungers waving sporadically like excited children.

“Destroy!” came the Mechonoids’ reply in the familiar robotic sing-song voice that Barbara and Ian remembered only too well.

Both sets of robots were closing in and it was just a matter of which side would open fire first.

It was then that Peter stepped forward and raised his hand.

“Stop!” he declared as emotionlessly as he could manage.

To the surprise of everyone assembled the Daleks and Mechonoids did indeed halt their advance.

“I am the robotic construct of the human named Cushing.” Peter continued in the same halting, passionless tone. “I have killed the original and infiltrated the humans to lure them into our trap.”

The black Supreme Dalek glided forward, its eye-stalk fixed on the veteran actor.

“Scanning. You are registering as human. Your deception has failed!” the Dalek intoned menacingly.

Its gun swivelled into a position that was pointed right at Peter’s chest.

“Exterminate!” the Black Dalek cried.

“Got it!” the Doctor shouted at the same time.

He held out the sonic screwdriver in both hands and activated.

The tip of the sonic blazed in an eerie green glow, but unlike on many previous occasions there was no sound, as if the sonic were blasting out a frequency that was inaudible to the human ear. That said, the Doctor was not human and his face screwed up in agony as his ears were assailed by the ‘noise’ that was being produced by his favourite toy.

The effect on the Daleks and Mechonoids was almost instantaneous as they suddenly ceased their menacing advancement and went still. Ian walked up to one of the immobile Daleks and waved a hand in front of the eye-lens. There was no response and the blue light that had blazed there before had gone out completely.

“You’ve done it, Doctor!” the ex-Science teacher declared triumphantly.

The Doctor still held the screwdriver out before him. The tip still sparkled like the tail of a firefly and the Time Lord’s face was still contorted with pain.

“I have to keep the jamming signal going.” He cried through gritted teeth. “See what you can do to put them permanently out of action. Open them up. Pull out any wires you see. Beat them with a fire axe. Do anything, just do it quickly!”

Ian, Barbara, Amy, Rory and Peter all set about to carry out the Doctor’s instructions.

It was Ian that found the most effective solution. He took a hold of the inert weapon of the Black Dalek in both hands and yanked it out of its housing with all his strength, pulling free a tangled spaghetti of wires in the process.

After giving the wiring a cursory examination he seemed to figure out the weapon’s firing mechanism. He took aim at the Black Dalek.

“Right, stand back everyone.” He instructed with a grim smile.

Everyone did as they were told.

Ian manipulated a couple of the wires and – ZZZ-AKK!!!

Blue tendrils of electricity poured forth from the barrel and struck the Black Dalek just below its domed head. The resulting explosion spun the head into the air like a tossed coin. Before it could land Ian turned the weapon on the other five Daleks and obliterated them one after the other, afterwards performing the same for the three Mechonoids.

Amy rushed up with a fire extinguisher she had found and doused the flames before they could spread.

Once the last of the robots had been destroyed Ian dropped the weapon and the Doctor gratefully deactivated his sonic screwdriver.

“Thank you.” He breathed as he felt the pain in his head subsiding.

“Don’t mention it.” Ian replied.

 

Afterwards they all went outside through the fire exit where they found the director, Gordon Martin, the actor William Castle and Nick the Dalek-Operator waiting.

“You all made it!” Gordon exclaimed incredulously.

“What happened in there?” William asked. “Are those robots still after us?”    

“No, the Doctor saved us all. The robots have been destroyed.” Peter told him.

“The robots… destroyed?” Gordon stammered. He looked as if he was about to suffer an aneurism. “Without those robots my movie cannot be completed!”

The Doctor stepped forward angrily, but Ian got in there first.

“Listen, Gordon!” he thundered getting right up into the director’s face. “Good, decent, innocent people have died and all you’re concerned about is your damned movie. I don’t give a stuff about your movie! Barbara and I want nothing more to do with it and you certainly no longer have permission to use our screenplay.”

“You can’t do that!” Gordon blustered; he was having to look up at Ian to maintain eye contact. “You have contractual obligations!”

Ian was visibly trying to restrain himself from physically assaulting this obnoxious specimen of humanity.

“I suggest you walk away.” He said with a menacing calm that was more frightening than any amount of angry shouting. “Before I demonstrate just what you can do with your contractual obligations.”    

Gordon blanched at the implication of Ian’s warning. He turned and walked off, though it was more of a nervous wobble. Only once did he look back over his shoulder at Ian, a terrified look in his eyes.

“Bravo, Ian. I’m proud of you.” The Doctor declared with a smile.

“That’s why I married him.” Barbara beamed as she stepped up and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek.

William and Nick also took their leave. Nick muttered something about calling the police and ambulance services.

Peter turned to the Doctor. He offered his hand for the Time Lord to shake.

“It was very interesting to meet the real Dr. Who. Most fascinating indeed. If you ever need someone to play you in a film about your life story do please look me up.” Peter said with a smile.

The Doctor shook his hand warmly and smiled back. “Thank you, Peter. I’ll bear that in mind.”

Then Peter too departed.

“I suppose you’ll be off now that the danger has passed?” Ian asked the Doctor.

“Well there is still the mystery of the Sondel Corporation to be solved, but something tells me we won’t find anything if we go looking into that. I do have a feeling that we’ll be seeing more of them in the future.” The Doctor replied.

“Well why don’t you and Amy and Rory come back to our house for dinner before you go off in the TARDIS again? I was planning on baking a Shepherd’s Pie tonight.” Barbara offered.

“Now that is an offer that no Time Lord could refuse!” the Doctor grinned. He linked arms with Barbara. “Lead the way, but when we get in I wonder if I could borrow your phone…”

 

The last view screen had gone blank following the destruction of the final Mechonoid.

A gloved, three-fingered fist pounded the console that had controlled the bank of screens.

Field Major Styre of the Sontaran Strategic Surveillance Survey snarled with frustration under his shiny domed helmet. He swivelled his chair to his left and patched in a call to his superior officer.

“The operation to assassinate the two human companions of the Doctor has been defeated. The Doctor himself became involved and was able to disable our robots.” He reported.

“No matter.” A harsh sibilant voice came over the intercom. “The Doctor is the true target and his time will soon come. Return to the fleet and eradicate any trace of the Sondel Alliance. We have detected a call that was made to the Torchwood organisation. They will be on their way to your location very soon.”

“By the time they get here I will be long gone and all trace of the Sondel Alliance will have been removed. This I swear!” Styre assured his superior.

“Very good, Styre.” The voice replied. “Do not blame yourself for this failure. We know of old how worthy an opponent the Doctor is. There is no shame in being defeated by him.”

“You are too kind, Emperor.” Styre bowed to the intercom though he knew that the gesture would not be seen.

He turned off the communicator and rose from his chair. There were things he needed to do before he could leave.

 

**The End**


End file.
